Alone Together
by phelipa
Summary: COMPLETE, Bosco and Cruz are reunited after a change in both of their lives.
1. Alone together

Disclaimer: I don't own third watch or the characters

Alone Together

Chapter 1: Alone together

She clutched his frayed picture to her chest, like a child reaching out for a rose; she had reached out innocently towards his beauty only to be stung. Like a rose, he hadn't meant to hurt her, it had been an accident.

A stupid, pointless accident.

She ran her hand over her own taut stomach, reminiscing on her own mistakes. Never again, never ever again. Of course it was too late now and being a catholic, abortion was never an option. She caressed her belly, a warm mound of flesh concealing a now, not so secret love.

They had only made love a few times, but it had been careless and consequential, very consequential.

She hadn't even known about this baby until after that day and now there wasn't any point in telling him. He wouldn't come back, not a chance, he was to damn stubborn.

Flashback

_2 months before_

_She stood in the bathroom facing the mirror, her loose ponytail bobbing up and down as her shoulders shook with the unconcealed sobs. His body had lain still on the ground, dead, and she knew what was coming._

_She now stood in front of the mirror, alone; he had left, blaming her for what had happened. If only Mikey hadn't been involved maybe they would have had a chance, they'd still been sleeping together, just more secretly._

_As she lay down on her bed she could still smell him. He smelt different than anyone she had ever been with, way better. Well there was no point dwelling on things that would never happen, she thought as she turned over, she would just have to get used to it._

_1 month before_

_Cruz pushed her hair out of her face again as she heaved into the toilet. What is wrong with me? She thought as she rinsed her mouth out._

_She looked at her reflection, she was gaunt and her face was pale. Her stomach felt really hard and her legs ached. She felt nauseous and her head hurt. She shrugged, sometimes she felt this way before she got her period. _

_Suddenly she stopped short, No, No way. She ran to a calendar and frantically flipped the pages. As she looked at the day she wanted to bang her head against a wall, _

"_You have got to be kidding me" she said out loud. _

_Ok, a week and a half, maybe she wasn't pregnant. _

_She didn't want to take any chances so she hurried out to a drugstore. Quickest, Clearblue, Novarel, Profasi, Pregnyl? Why were there so many? Cruz groaned as she looked at them. _

_She randomly chose two that had a guarantee sign on them, hopefully they were good! She carried them discretely to the front cash and blushed profusely when the woman at the cash grinned at her. _

_She high tailed it out of the store and drove home as quickly as possible. When she got home she set both of the pregnancy tests out on the counter in the bathroom. _

_She just stared at them a while, before actually taking them. When she was done she set them on the counter and paced restlessly in the bathroom._

_It said wait 5 minutes but she couldn't wait, at four minutes she turned and stared at the both of them. Pink…Pink… Damn it!_

TBC…New story finally!


	2. Telling

A/N: Hey everyone! Just so you know, in case it was confusing, mikey died in the last chapter, Bosco left Cruz, she found out she was pregnant. Ok? Good

Chapter 2: Telling

Week 10

Cruz wrung the water out of her hair and climbed out of the shower. _Man it's hard to get up when you're pregnant!_ She thought to herself as she blow-dried her hair.

She sort of wished she had someone with her now, but she cut off the thought abruptly. _I've got to stop thinking like this!_

She stood in front of the mirror, topless and rubbed a hand over her stomach, she still couldn't believe it, she was pregnant! Even though she was alone it was sort of nice to have this little human inside of her.

She pulled a T shirt on and groaned; another one too small. She pulled it off and went for another one that was bigger. Her stomach was barely growing but it was enough to make her just too big for her normal clothes.

She stretched her legs before pulling her jacket on and heading to work. When she got there she headed up to the office.

She saw Bosco walking into the precinct and quickly ducked her head; she wasn't going to talk to him unless she had to.

She grabbed a pile of paperwork from the desk and sorted through it, before giving up. _I have to talk to Lieu_ she thought silently. She didn't want to but she knew that if she didn't the baby would be in danger.

She pushed her chair back and motioned to her partner "Hey, Santiago! I'm going to talk to Lieu, I'll be back in a few"

He nodded and she nervously went down to Lieu's office. She knocked gently on the door and he motioned for her to come in. She entered; making sure the door was shut tight.

She sat down in front of him and he questioned her "What's up Sarge?"

Her cheeks became flushed "Ummm... I need to tell you that, that I'm pregnant." She spat out the last few words and he looked up at her, his eyebrows raised

"Ok, how far along? When do you need to leave?"

Cruz stared inquisitively at her hand, her only distraction "9 weeks, I really was hoping that I could keep working though"

Lieu was already shaking his head "No, I don't want to put you in any risk, By the time your 12 weeks I want you on the desk"

Cruz glared at him "Fine" She spat furiously as she turned and left.

Santiago turned and saw her coming in, her cheeks flaring, running a hand through her hair. "You ok chica?"

She nodded "I'm going to the washroom, I'll be back" He nodded, thoroughly confused.

She turned and walked briskly to the bathroom, getting stressed made her stomach hurt, she felt really nauseous. She hurried to the change room and entered a stall.

She bent over the toilet, a place where she had been spending a lot of time lately, and emptied her stomach. She stayed in the stall for a while, trying to regain her composure.

Finally she pushed the stall open and stepped out _Crap!_ Bosco was standing in the change room, watching her. She already knew he couldn't stand it when women got sick.

"Are you ok Sarge?" He asked, his tone harsh as though he really didn't care.

She went to push past him "What does it matter Bosco, you obviously don't care"

He heard something unfamiliar in her voice and his tone changed "No, Cruz really…are you ok?"

As his tone softened tears pricked the back of her eyes _Damn hormones!_ Her voice came out shaky

"I don't know, look Bosco I need to go" He took her gently by the arm and kissed her gently

"Tell me?"

She was taken aback, last thing she heard he hated her. Finally she relented, a few tears slipped down her face and she choked back a sob

"Why do you blame me for his death?"

Bosco bristled a bit but backed down "I don't, I just didn't know who to take it out on, you were the closest target…I'm sorry"

Cruz glanced up, it would take time but maybe they could work this out

"Really?" she said in a small voice.

He nodded and she slipped her arms around him. He felt so familiar, so safe; she just wanted to stay here forever. He gently breathed in the scent of her hair again.

"You want to tell me what's really wrong?"

She bit her lip nervously "You really want to know?"

He nodded. She really didn't want to ruin the moment but he had the right to know. She pushed away from him and smoothed her hair back down

"You sure?"

He nodded again "Come on Cruz" She sighed "Fine, Bosco, we were still sleeping together before Mikey died…" He nodded slowly "Well, I'm pregnant, you're going to be a daddy."

TBC…


	3. Coming together

Disclaimer: I don't own third watch or the characters

A/N Hello everyone, I hope you like the story! Guess what! We're getting a greyhound! I'm so excited! Anyways, now on with the program! Enjoy…

Chapter 3: Coming together

Week 10

Bosco backed away slowly

"What!" he uttered, he looked like she had just slapped him in the face without warning "You…you're pregnant!"

Cruz nodded miserably "I'm sorry I…"

Bosco shook his head "No, you will not take the blame for this; there were two of us there." Cruz looked down.

Bosco paced back and forth, wringing his hands nervously "How far along?"

"Ten weeks" Cruz whispered.

A tear slipped down her cheek "Bosco, don't you dare try to make me give it up"

He took her shoulders and lifted her chin so she was facing him "Ritza, I would never do that, never! If you want us to keep it, that's fine, I don't want to make you uncomfortable"

She gave him a watery smile "Us?"

He grinned "You're not raising this baby alone, I'm going to be a dad"

The last statement came out somewhat apprehensively, but at the same time boastfully. He suddenly grasped her around the waist and picked her up

"I'm going to be a dad!"

"Bosco" She gasped in surprise "Put me down!"

He placed her down gently "You ok?"

His look was so concerned that Cruz burst out laughing "My gosh, Bosco I'm not going to break! Look, we have to go back out there and pretend nothing happened ok?"

He nodded looking puzzled "I don't want anyone to know yet"

Bosco smiled, gave her a quick peck on the cheek and let her leave first. _A baby! Whoa, a little fast here but I guess we can't really do anything about it! Wow, this is amazing! The day we make up she tells me she's pregnant!_ Bosco laughed to himself as he exited the change room. _This day could not get any stranger!_

That day, whenever he saw Cruz, she would give him a quick half smile before hurrying away.

At 11:15 Bosco was changing downstairs by himself when he heard the door open. He looked up and saw Cruz in the doorway.

"Hey, how you feeling?" He asked gently.

She grinned "Better, hey I have a doctors appointment tomorrow if you want to come" She asked somewhat shyly, not common for her but she wanted him to go, at the same time she didn't want to force him to go.

Bosco smiled back, pulling on a T shirt "I'll be there, what time?"

Cruz got her usual confidence back "Pick me up at 10 in the morning" He smiled back at her "See you then" As she turned to go Bosco say the slight bounce in her step, she was happy they were back together

Cruz was less than happy when she woke up the next morning, having to get up every hour to puke your guts up was not her idea of fun, then there was the added pressure of a baby sitting on top of her bladder.

At ten weeks she couldn't imagine how bad it would be in a few months, the baby couldn't be more than the size of a plum now! She shuffled to the bathroom to take a shower and was ready and waiting by the time Bosco got there.

He walked nervously up to the door, still not believing she had let him come. She opened the door, a timid smile on her face. She'd already seen the baby once before, at two months, but Bosco hadn't ever seen it. He smiled back "Ready?" She nodded and slipped her purse over her shoulder as they left.

When they got there the doctor took them in immediately.

Cruz smiled warmly at the doctor "Doctor Reed, this is Bosco, he's the father. I want him with me"

Dr. Reed smiled "No problem, nice to meet you"

Bosco shook her hand and sat down in the chair beside Cruz.

"So, how are you feeling?" The doctor questioned.

Cruz rolled her eyes "I've never felt so crappy in my entire life"

Bosco immediately felt terrible, it was him who had done this to her. The doctor reassured her that it was perfectly normal and that she would feel better after a couple weeks. After some other tests were done she asked Cruz to lay down and pull her shirt up. Cruz obliged and jumped a bit as Dr. Reed rubbed the gel onto her stomach.

Bosco stood next to her and held her hand tightly as the doctor searched for the baby. She stopped as she found it and Bosco's eyes widened

"That's it?" Cruz nodded.

She lifted her hand to the screen and fingered their baby's outline

"That's it" She whispered. Even though she'd seen it before it was amazing, this, this thing was inside of her! As the doctor shut the machine off she handed Cruz a photo of the baby.

"This is for you guys, that's it, I'll see you in a month's time. Any problems give me a shout. Make sure you're exercising and taking your vitamins."

Cruz nodded and took Bosco's hand as they left.

That night Cruz turned music on softly in the background as she curled up on the couch with a journal she was keeping for the baby. As much as she loved being with Bosco, she treasured the moments she had alone with the baby. She grabbed the pen on the table and began to write:

_Dear Baby,_

_Daddy's back, he took me to a doctor's appointment today. I saw you for the second time and daddy saw you for the first time ever. The expression on his face was priceless! We talked today about you and daddy and I. I'm anxious to have you here in my arms but that's another 6 ½ months away. When you meet me you'll see how impatient I am, not one of my best qualities but maybe with you I'll improve. I love you so much! Even when I'm up at 1 in the morning puking my guts out I can't help but love you. You're something we created on our own, amazing really. I never would have thought I'd be a motherly type, but you're changing me in ways I never even knew were possible. I'm so much of a better person because of you, so I thank you. Baby, I'll love you forever…_

_Mommy_

Cruz sighed and left the book on the table, she was to tired to bother moving so she fell asleep on the couch, the music playing softly in the background, lulling her and the small being within her into a deep, settled sleep.


	4. A time for everything

Disclaimer: I don't own third watch or the characters

Chapter 4: A time for everything

Week 13

Cruz jiggled her leg impatiently, she was bored and Bosco had promised to take her out to supper and he was late. It didn't help that she was on the desk, it was incredibly boring. She'd also had to take a bunch of crap from Faith for being on the desk.

Finally Bosco showed up, she grabbed her coat and dragged him outside, not wanting to waste a minute. Bosco started the car "Where are we going?"

She didn't hesitate" My place"

He glanced over at her, but she wasn't paying attention. When they pulled up she led him up the stairs into her apartment.

"K, we have an hour, this has to be quick."

Bosco looked at her inquisitively.

She tugged at her top and he finally clued in; they weren't here to eat food at all.

He strolled over to her and helped her remove her top. She stripped down quickly and he stood a moment gazing at her. She still wasn't large, her curves were just move gentle and round, there was the slightest bit of a bump in her stomach.

She tore the clothes off of him and he pulled her close. He skin was still tight over her body, her muscles firm and he ran his hands over every one of them. His hand rested on her belly while the other one traversed the rest of her body.

As he fondled her breast her breathing became ragged and he half led her to the bedroom. She pulled him next to herself, closer than they'd been in a long time.

He pulled her into a kiss and she moaned softly into his mouth. He reached up, gently touching her chest. She shook with anticipation and he looked up at her for permission to enter her.

She nodded, barely able to control her own movements. He entered her quickly and she nearly screamed as she came. Her fingernails dug into his back as her fingers contracted and Bosco came quickly after she did. As he finished Cruz finally let out a soft scream collapsing against him.

When they were finished Cruz lay on the bed, her chest heaving with every breath. "Wow, thanks Bosco"

He started to laugh "No problem"

Cruz glanced at the clock "K we have to be back there in a half hour, hurry up and get dressed"

Cruz helped herself to a shower and they were ready to go. When they got back Cruz was still giddy, it wasn't everyday they went out for "supper" together. She strolled into the precinct, Bosco watching her every move.

She settled herself down behind the desk, a bright smile lighting up her face. When Bosco entered she winked at him and he smiled back. As soon as Bosco got into the car he knew he was dead.

Faith just stared "Uh…what was that?"

Bosco tried to look innocent "What?"

But Faith wasn't going to give up "You, Sergeant…what was that?"

Bosco flushed a little "Nothing" She wouldn't leave him alone and finally he lost it "Faith, shut up! We're going out again ok?"

She immediately backed off; "Ok, fine, not my decision to make"

Bosco sat in silence the rest of the night. He didn't feel it necessary to tell her about the baby just yet.

Week 16

Cruz pulled a jean jacket over the tight red T shirt. It was finally time for everyone at work to know about the baby.

When Bosco came to pick her up he grinned "You ready to show that baby?"

Cruz smiled back "It's telling me it wants to be shown"

Bosco smiled back and slipped his arm around her waist. Her stomach was finally showing, a little lump in front of her, but definitely noticeable and detectible as a pregnancy. She had hidden her stomach with big sweaters but she had decided that she was only going to get bigger so she might as well show her stomach now.

When they got to work she settled herself behind the desk, kissed Bosco quickly and got to work.

Monroe was the first one to notice, she came to pick up paperwork and stopped short "Uh Cruz, you pregnant?"

Cruz nodded "4 months"

Monroe hugged her gently "Wow, congratulations!"

Ty came up beside her "Wow, bun in the oven?"

Cruz laughed "Yup?"

Monroe smiled "Who's the father"

Cruz looked up "Bosco"

Monroe's smile grew "No way, you two parents, I cannot wait to see that. Not in a bad way"

Cruz nodded "I can't wait either!"

Monroe gave her one more hug before leaving.

Faith came up to the desk as soon as Monroe left. "You're pregnant?" She hissed.

Cruz nodded, pasting a sweet smile on her face, as if she could even care what Faith thought.

"With BOSCO?"

Cruz nodded, trying to keep herself from laughing. As Faith strode out the door Cruz couldn't help but feel sorry for Bosco, the poor boy was really going to catch it this time.

TBC…


	5. Baby Stuff

Disclaimer: I don't own Third Watch, I do own the baby and Dr. Reed

Chapter 5: Baby Stuff

Week 20

Cruz punched Bosco in the shoulder, hard. He woke up with a jolt "Yeah?" She sat up "I'm hungry" Bosco nodded rolling over again. Cruz pinched him "Bosco, get me food, now." He jumped as she pinched him "Fine, what do you want?" Cruz thought a minute "Pickles and cheese…and tuna" Bosco swallowed hard to keep from gagging "That all?" She nodded.

He pulled himself out of the bed and went to the kitchen to fix her "buffet", sometimes he wondered whether this pregnancy was harder on Cruz or himself and with 4 months left, he didn't know what he was going to do. He brought the food up to Cruz and she devoured it quickly, before falling back to sleep. Bosco watched her sleep a while; this was going to be a long 4 months.

Cruz sat at the desk watching the woman in front of her. She had three kids in tow, two of which were trying to do what looked like kill each other. The woman had just come in to help in the identification of a suspect, why she had brought her kids was beyond Cruz.

She watched as the older boy taunted his sister and she wondered what heck she had gotten herself into. She placed her arms over her stomach; as if maybe she kept the noise out her baby wouldn't pick up on it.

She pursed her lips as the woman left, her child was never, ever going to act like that she decided. Those children were demon spawn or something! As she got back to work she smiled softly to herself, only a mother's love would put up with that.

Week 22

Cruz pushed her hair up into a ponytail. She walked into the bedroom and leaned over kissing Bosco awake "Hey you, I want you to feel something." She took his hand and gently placed it on her warm, bare belly. He felt a firm push against his hand and almost jerked it away "What was that?" Cruz grinned "The baby, it's kicking a lot!" He smiled; placing a kiss on her stomach "It must know that we're having an appointment today" Cruz caressed her stomach slightly "Well, we have to go soon so hurry up and get ready!"

Cruz scanned through the headlines of the magazine, Jennifer and Brad Pitt broke up, fashion tips, Coco Arquette. She closed it, moving aside, she couldn't stand waiting, besides they were going to go baby shopping after this.

Finally the nurse came out and ushered them in. Dr. Reed checked everything over and did the ultrasound, pronouncing the baby to be perfectly healthy. As Cruz wiped the gel off of her stomach and pulled her top down the doctor sat down again

"There is one thing I want to talk to you about though"

Cruz's heart raced, this didn't sound good. "Ok, Maritza, you have a very small structure all around, which means that your pelvic structure is quite small too. As the baby grows it's going to put a lot of pressure on your pelvis. When you reach around 32 0r 33 weeks we'll need you to come in for weekly check ups. The pressure could force you into premature labor, or if we need to we may need to start your labor early. The chances of you hemorrhaging are also slightly higher than that of a larger woman. We just need to keep a close eye on you, make sure that you and the baby are ok."

Cruz nodded; she got the jest of it. The doctor smiled "Alright, everything should be fine, call with any concerns. "Alright thanks Dr. Reed" Cruz said as Bosco helped her out of the office.

Cruz fingered the fabric between her fingers, it was gorgeous and it would match amazingly with the cherry wood crib they had already bought. The set came with a sheet, comforter and slip. It was a pale green, but rich with color.

They had also bought a change table and shelf for the room. The comforter had pictures of little bears all over it. The room was starting to look somewhat, old fashioned Victorian. They purchased the set, along with some baby blankets, jumpers and a stuffed bear. Cruz grinned widely as they loaded it all into the car, it would be perfect.

As she settled into the car she put a hand on her stomach, the baby was jerking slightly and it shocked Cruz for a moment until she realized what it was. "Hey Bosco, put your hand on my stomach again." He did and looked up at her "What is that? Are you ok? Is the baby ok?" Cruz nodded "Hiccups, it has hiccups!" Bosco looked at her in disbelief "Hiccups?" Cruz nodded and Bosco shook his head "If you say so!"

TBC….


	6. Sick and healing

A/N Ok this chap is based on how I feel right now, I have an awful cold! 

Chapter 6: Sick and Healing

Week 27

Cruz woke up feeling really crappy. She was exhausted and her body ached. Her throat ached, her head pounded and her eyes felt swollen. A cough erupted from her throat, her aching lungs bursting into flames.

She held her throat and turned over, Bosco had decided not to sleep over last night, they had spent the day working on the baby's room and he had been exhausted.

She got up slowly, the ground swirling. She blinked to clear her head. The baby shifted slightly for a second and her mind wandered to whether the baby was sick when she was. She pulled her robe tight around her, she was shivering a bit.

She turned the stove on to make some tea for herself, maybe it would help her throat. She put the water on and retreated to her couch. _I should probably call Bosco_ she thought. She went in search of the phone but sat back down quickly, she was too tired.

The whistle of the kettle screeched and she went to take it off the round. In her delusional state she reached out, grabbing the side of the kettle. As the heat seeped in she yanked her hand back, letting out a shriek of pain.

She slid to the ground, holding her hand. It was a bright, angry red, already swelling up. A few tears escaped down her cheeks and she grabbed the phone above her then shoved the kettle off the stove.

She quickly dialed Bosco's number; he picked up almost immediately "Hello?" Cruz started to sob, her hand flaring in pain. "Cruz?"

"Yeah" she managed to let out

"What's wrong! Is it the baby?"

She swallowed a sob "No, I had an accident; I think you need to take me to the emergency room." She hung up the phone.

Bosco went ballistic. He threw on clothes and raced out the door. _Why couldn't she tell me what happened?_ As he pulled up he threw open the door, not bothering to turn the car off, but racing up the stairs. He entered the apartment and found her sobbing in the kitchen clutching her hand.

"Bosco..."

He sat down next to her "Yeah? What happened?"

She coughed "I'm sick; I stuck my hand on the kettle." He pulled her hand out, and winced. Her hand was a bright pink, swollen and puffy. The skin was already peeling.

"Ok, we have to go to the emergency room; do you feel good enough to go?" She nodded, allowing herself to be helped off the floor and out to his car.

"You're sure the baby's ok?" Cruz nodded again.

When they arrived there Bosco helped her into the ER. The doctor saw them almost immediately

"What happened here?" He asked gently.

Cruz cradled her hand "I have a cold and went to make myself some tea, instead of grabbing the handle I grabbed the kettle.

The doctor winced "Ok, we'll need to put on some ointment and a bandage; you don't want an infection, not with that little one on the way."

Cruz nodded and the doctor began his work.

An hour later Bosco took Cruz home, her hand thoroughly bandaged and covered. When they got home Cruz fell asleep instantly and Bosco watched her in worry. He made her some soup and set out her medication, one for the cold, one for her hand. _I should have stayed last night!_ He told himself.

A small voice came from the bed "No Bosco, It's ok, it's not your fault" He turned, amazed that she could tell what he was thinking. "Thanks for the soup"

He nodded, sitting on the bed "You feeling any better?" Cruz shook her head "Not really, the baby's moving a lot though." Bosco smiled, even when she was sick Cruz thought of the baby.

Week 28

Over the next few days Cruz slept a lot while Bosco worked on "something".

Finally a week later Cruz felt good enough to get up. She got up and went to the living room. Bosco was asleep on the couch. She fixed a bit of breakfast and sat down on the couch. It was a bit hard to eat with one hand and she still couldn't taste very much so she gave up quickly.

Bosco woke and saw her sitting on the end of the couch "You're up!"

She nodded, "I'm still not great, but I want to be up"

Bosco grinned "Well, I have something to show you" Cruz smiled and Bosco took her hands "Close your eyes"

She obliged and let him lead her down the hall.

When he stopped he said "Open your eyes"

She did and she gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth, it was the baby's room, he had finished it. It was gorgeous! The crib was in the corner, comforter and everything, the room was painted the light shade of green, the change table was set up, there were little piles of baby clothing in the drawers, and the shelf was up, with a baby bear on top. She gazed around until something caught her eye

"Bosco is that mine?" He nodded and she began to cry. In the corner sat a weathered rocking chair, Cruz had seen it before. It had been her mother's. "Bosco how did you…"

Bosco smiled, pulling her close. "I went to a thrift store, just to look and I found it. It had your parents name on it. When I asked about it they said it was from a deceased couple and I knew it had to be your parents, now you'll be able to rock our baby in it."

Cruz's face was tearstained but she went and sat down in it, her hands sheltering their baby and rocked back and forth.

She could feel the baby calmly moving, rolling and tumbling in her uterus and it calmed her. She rubbed her hand on her stomach and smiled at Bosco "Thank you, Thank you so much"

TBC…K I know the whole rocking chair thing is a bit out there but I wanted Cruz to have something from her past.


	7. Telling Grandma

Disclaimer : Don't own third watch

Chapter 7: Telling Grandma

Week 32

"Bosco!" Cruz yelled from her position on the floor. He ran into the hall and found her sitting on the floor "Yeah?"

Cruz groaned softly "I can't tie my shoe, do it for me?"

Bosco smiled and bent to tie it

"Hey, Bos, I just thought of something…"

He looked up at her inquisitively "Your mom doesn't know about the baby" Bosco nodded "I know"

"Well, when are we going to tell her?" Bosco shrugged "Well, I wasn't sure you wanted to tell her"

Cruz raised an eyebrow "Uh, Bosco, hello, this is her grandchild we're talking about. It might be a good idea to tell her"

Bosco backed off "Ok, if you want to we can go over today" Cruz grinned, once again, she had won.

A few hours later she wasn't so confident. Rose had never met her before and to come in with a belly about to explode, well, not every mother would be too pleased. Cruz wrung her hands nervously and Bosco slowly wrapped his large ones over her small delicate fingers.

As they pulled into the driveway Rose ran out to greet them. Bosco got out first and gave his mom a hug

"Hey ma, there's someone I want you to meet k?"

Rose smiled "Of course, anything for my boy"

Bosco kissed her weathered cheek and then turned to help Cruz out of the car. As Rose noticed Cruz's big belly her face broke into a wide grin. She pulled Cruz into a warm hug

"Hello dear, I'm Mrs. Boscorelli, call me Rose and you are…"

Cruz grinned "I'm Maritza"

Rose looked her up and down "Well Maurice, you've picked yourself a fine one" Bosco blushe d and Cruz laughed slightly. Rose's eyes twinkled "And this one?..."

Cruz grinned, placing a hand on her stomach "Your grandchild"

Rose's face lit up "Congratulations!" Cruz beamed "Well, why don't you three come in?" Rose put her arm around Cruz's shoulders and guided her into the house. Bosco rolled his eyes and followed them in_ at least ma likes her!_

By the end of the morning Rose had been updated on the relationship and the entire pregnancy and Cruz had heard a few stories of her own. Finally Bosco stood up

"Ma, we've got to go to the doctor's for a checkup now" Rose nodded solemnly "You guys take care and keep that baby safe, you call me when they decide to come on out"

Cruz assured her they would and said goodbye somewhat reluctantly. On the drive there Cruz smiled at Boso "Hey, why didn't you introduce us before, she's amazing!"

Bosco laughed "I'm glad you two hit it off"

As they pulled into the doctor's office Cruz took Bosco's hand nervously. He smiled, reassuring her slightly.

As soon as they got into the office the doctor took them. She did a strip test and an ultrasound. When she was finished she guided Cruz's hand down to her lower abdomen

"See if you feel right here you can feel the baby's head, it's already moved down quite a bit. You're both doing fine but I wouldn't be surprised if we see this baby in the next couple weeks."

Cruz nodded solemnly. "Other than that you're both fine, just take it easy and you should be ok" The appointments ended and Cruz had Bosco drop her off, she wanted to be alone tonight,

She stood in front of the baby's new room and she could almost see herself as a child, like a video.

She saw her mother, Teja, sitting in the rocking chair, slowly rocking Lettie to sleep. A 6 year old Maritza walked into the room clutching her teddy bear. She stood beside her mother and watched the new baby sleep.

Her daddy had left long before Lettie had been born. She stood and looked at her mother, her face was gaunt and pale, her eyes were ringed with dark circles but as she smiled her face lit up.

"Ritza, honey, come sit"

Cruz almost wept as she watched her tiny self crawl into her mother's arms.

"Mommy, Can I sleep with you tonight?" Her mother nodded and gently pushed her off her lap to put Lettie to bed. Maritza took her mom's hand and followed her out of the room, the memory slowly fading.

Her mother had died a few years later, cancer, and they had ended up living with an aunt who had died when Lettie was 18.

Cruz brushed a tear away and sat down in the chair, the familiar creaking and motion soothed her and reminded her of her mother. She slipped her arms around her own baby and promised herself no matter what she would be the same mother her mom had been.

TBC..


	8. Time

Chapter 8: Time

Week 34 

May 4th 5: 52 pm

Bosco glanced nervously at the calendar for the fifth time. Faith sighed "Fine Bosco, what is it?" He drummed his fingers anxiously on the dashboard "I don't know! Cruz told me she felt weird this morning but she wouldn't let me stay home with her!" Faith laughed "When we're as big as a whale and ready to burst we don't want the person who did it to us around" Bosco frowned "What if she goes into labor?" Faith rolled her eyes "She'll call you, you dope" Bosco went back to drumming his fingers on the dashboard, waiting and wondering.

20 minutes later his cell phone rang and he picked it up in a hurry, fumbling with it. "Hello? Cruz?" He heard a laugh from the other end "Yeah, hey you want to come pick me up? My water broke" Bosco let out a gasp and his grip tightened "Yeah sure, Faith and I will be over in a minute" "Bye" she said softly and he hung up. Faith turned, glaring at him "Where do you think we're going?" He was grinning like an idiot "Her water broke" Faith smiled and pulled the RMP around "Congrats!" He nodded; his heart in his throat.

Cruz walked out of the apartment all smiles. "Looks like she hasn't had any contractions yet" Faith muttered under her breath.

Bosco jumped out of the car and hurried over to her "Are you ok? Isn't this early?"

Cruz laughed lightly "I called Dr. Reed, she said this was expected. She did tell us that I'm too small to carry this baby to term"

Bosco nodded and took the duffle bag from her then helped her into the RMP. He climbed in the other side beside her. "K Faith, we're going to Mercy"

Faith nodded and started the car. "Cruz, you feeling ok?" She questioned.

Cruz nodded "So far so good"

When they pulled up in front of the hospital Faith helped Cruz out of the car and Bosco grabbed the bag. Then Faith did something that shocked the hell out of Cruz. She gave her a gentle hug and whispered

"Good luck and while you're at it give Bosco hell, he helped in the doing of this."

Cruz smiled "Thanks Faith. Don't worry, he'll catch it"

Faith climbed back into the RMP and grinned "Bosco, you better watch out" she called as she pulled away. Bosco slipped his arm around Cruz's waist and led her inside.

Dr. Reed met them and led Cruz to a private labor room "Alright, you can change into the hospital gown then we'll have nurses come in periodically to check on you guys because this one's so early."

Cruz nodded and slipped on the hospital gown. Dr. Reed got her settled into the bed then checked her dilation "Alright, see you're only about 2 centimeters dilated so it'll be a while" Cruz nodded and leaned back against the pillows. Dr. Reed left and Bosco settled himself into the chair beside Cruz, waiting for the new baby.

7:00 pm

Cruz jumped slightly as the first contraction came. She sucked a deep breath in and Bosco watched in concern "You ok?"

She nodded "First contraction"

She let the breath out as it passed "Wow that hurt more than I expected it to. A lot more. What does it say on the monitor?"

Bosco picked up the paper "Umm, it was a 3 I think"

Cruz grinned "Ok thanks"

"So, we still haven't thought of a name for this baby" Bosco mentioned.

Cruz nodded "Yeah, I don't know I figured it would be easier when we see him or her."

Bosco shrugged "Sounds good"

9:00 pm

Cruz tightened her grip around Bosco's hand and he was sure she had broken it. She released and laid her head back down "Sorry" She stated simply.

Two hours later and only 3 centimeters dilated, she was not happy and Bosco couldn't blame her. She fidgeted around on the bed trying to get comfortable before finally getting up

"I want to walk around, I'm bored"

Bosco grinned, just like her to be bored at a time like this. He helped her up and gently supported her and she walked slowly down the hall. Five minutes later the next contraction took her by surprise and she tensed quickly, once again squeezing the crap out of Bosco's hand.

He helped her around for about another half hour before stating "Cruz, we should go back now, you're exhausted"

"Don't tell me about myself I know when I'm tired!" She snapped.

He was completely taken a back "Oh, ok sorry."

Not ten minutes later did she turn back and walk to the room. Bosco hung back, not wanting to invoke her wrath again. He knew for certain this would be an interesting night.

11:00 pm

Cruz watched the contraction meter go up to a 5 and flinched. Just then a knock came from the door and Cruz turned to see Rose standing in the door way.

"Rose?"

Rose nodded a beaming smile on her face. "Come on in"

Rose glanced at her son and was sure she saw a look of desperate relief in his eyes.

"Maurice, why don't you get something to eat? I'll stay with Maritza"

Bosco nodded and gave Cruz a peck on the cheek before leaving. As he did, she wanted to desperately to smack him and tell him to never touch her again but she let him go, this time.

Rose slid into the seat next to Cruz "How are you doing?"

"Fine I guess, seeing as this is the worst pain I've ever had to deal with in my life" Cruz remarked.

Rose grinned "You sound a lot like I did"

Cruz simply nodded closing her eyes in exhaustion. Rose smiled gently but she could see by the pained expression on Cruz's face her son would be paying dearly for what he'd done.

May 5th 3:00 am

"I hate you" Cruz spat through a painful contraction "I hate you so much, you are never going to touch me again"

Bosco sat silently dealing with Cruz as her contractions climbed to a 7. She clamped down on his hand with a vengeance letting out a string of swear words to go with it.

When it ended Bosco glanced at her warily "You sure you don't want an epidural"

She turned to him, her eyes flaring "no"

He cringed under her death glare; he'd heard that women were submissive and weepy during labor. Cruz was anything but. She was mean, vicious even.

Dr. Reed entered the room at that moment and almost laughed at the scene before her. "Alright Maritza, last time I checked you were 5 centimeters, why don't we check again?"

She sat down at the end of the bed and snapped rubber gloves on. Cruz sat up abruptly "Touch me or look at me again and I'll kill you"

Dr. Reed tried to hide the look of amusement and surprise "Ok what about in an hour? How's that?"

Cruz nodded and Dr. Reed left, not even bothering to question an epidural. As she left another contraction arose and Cruz bore down on Bosco's hand.

He attempted to talk her through it until she glared at him "Get out"

He looked at her in surprise "What?"

"You heard me, get out!" She growled "I don't want to see you or Rose or anyone for at least a half hour"

Bosco rose "If you're sure…" She just stared and he turned and left her alone, in peace for a while.

7:00 am

Bosco rubbed his hands through his hair. He was surprised, just a few hours ago she had wanted to kill him, but the urge had seemed to pass. She was weak now; she just wanted it over with.

Cruz groaned loudly as her resting time came to an end. "Bosco, this kid is so grounded when they get out" Bosco laughed weakly as she pursed her lips against the pain. "Honestly, how long does it take for them to get out?"

"I don't know Ritz, Ma said she was in labor with me and Mikey for 12 or so hours"

Cruz groaned again "I'm already at 14 hours. This kid better love me more than you" She said with a laugh "Can you get me some water?"

He nodded and brought her some from the kitchen down the hall. "Where's Rose?" She inquired as he came back.

He snorted "In the waiting room betting some lady her grandkid is going to be cuter than theirs."

Cruz chuckled slightly but was cut off as a contraction took hold. Dr. Reed came back in.

"How you guys feeling?"

Cruz groaned "Tired, I want it out"

The doctor smiled "Well, the nurses say you guys are doing great so let's check how far you're dilated." Cruz nodded, pulling her legs to her chest.

"Great," Dr. Reed said "You're doing fantastic 9 centimeters."

Cruz sighed in relief "Good"

Dr. Reed smiled "Alright, make sure to call me when you feel pressure."

Cruz nodded. Bosco glanced at the contraction meter " You're at an 8" Cruz blinked, trying to clear her head "Ok" She said as she leaned back on the bed.

7: 47 am

Cruz turned to Bosco, her eyes blurry with exhaustion and said "I need to push"

Bosco sat up quickly "What! Wait, I'll get Dr. Reed"

He pushed the call button on her bed as Cruz struggled to sit up. Dr. Reed came in quickly and glanced at Cruz

"Let's see how far you are" She checked quickly "Good, 10 centimeters. Let me call for a few nurses and we'll get this baby out"

Cruz nodded, breathing heavily against the urge to push. Two nurses rushed in with an incubator and Dr. Reed got her outfitting on.

"Alright" She said, seating herself at the end of the bed "You ready?"

Cruz nodded

"Ok, when the next contraction comes Bosco and Amy will push you up. Take their hands and Bosco will count to ten. You push for the whole time, and then take a little break ok?"

She nodded again. "Alright, go now"

Cruz tucked her chin in and pushed down, clutching the hands next to her tightly. As Bosco finished counting she collapsed heavily on the bed.

Bosco swept the hair out of her face and kissed her gently. "Great job pushing! We need you to go again ok? A couple more and the baby's head will be out"

Cruz pushed herself up as Bosco counted and bore down once again. "Fantastic, you'll feel the baby's head as it comes out. Keep pushing" Cruz let out a sharp cry as the baby's head emerged. She collapsed and moaned as the next contraction came

"It's ok, take a little break."

The doctor said as she suctioned the baby's mouth and nose. "Alright, we need to get the shoulders out then the baby will do the rest."

Cruz nodded. She pushed herself up, tears streaming down her face and pushed for the last time. Her body shook severely as the baby finally came out. She could barely keep her eyes open as the pain dulled and she stopped pushing.

Her senses burst to life once again as the sharp yelp of a newborn filled the air. Dr. Reed held the baby up with a smile on her face

"Welcome to the world baby boy"

Cruz brought a shaky hand to her eyes to flick away the tears. Bosco watched as the baby was lifted to her chest. Cruz's hair was plastered to her face and her cheeks were flushed pink, the baby was pink and wrinkly and sorta goopy but he had never seen anything so beautiful.

He let a few tears fall freely before wiping them away. The nurse handed him a pair of scissors and instructed him to cut the cord. He did eagerly and finally the new boy was detached from his mother.

The doctor took him and wiped him off then handed him to Bosco "Here you go Daddy"

Bosco took his son, a smile lighting up his face. He cradled his son and Cruz glanced at the pair

"He doesn't really look like either of us"

Bosco grinned "I should hope not he looks like a squashed pink potato"

Cruz laughed "A cute one"

"The cutest"

Cruz reached out for him and Bosco slid him into her arms

"So what do we call him?"

Cruz thought a minute "Jacob. Jacob Michael Boscorelli"

Bosco smiled squeezing her shoulder "Thank you" She nodded.

Dr. Reed came up beside them "Alright then, we need to take Jacob to get a check up. He's pretty early so he's considerably small, only 4.9 pounds. He'll need to stay in the hospital until he's 35 weeks then he can go home. We're going to keep him in NICU for observation, just to make sure he's ok"

Cruz nodded sleepily "And you, we'll bring over to the mother baby ward for some rest."

Cruz smiled weakly and watched as they took Jacob away.

11: 30 am

Cruz held Jacob close struggling to feed him. Bosco watched intently as she tried to breastfeed unsuccessfully.

"You know this is a lot harder than it looks" She mumbled.

Bosco didn't know what to say "You could call a nurse?"

Cruz shook her head "I want to figure it out myself, he's my son"

Bosco didn't see the relevance but let it go. Finally about a half hour later she got the hang of it.

"There" She said with pride "I did it"

Bosco smiled widely and kissed her "You did it"

Cruz suddenly started to cry.

"Ritza? You ok?" Bosco said nervously.

She nodded trying to wipe away the steady tears "Look at him Bosco! We made him, he's ours. What do we do now?"

Bosco smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb "We take care of him, we love him"

She gave him a watery smile and glanced back down at the feeding baby. She wiped the tears away quickly as a knock came to the door

"Come in" She called.

Davis and Monroe walked into the room.

Davis promptly turned to face the wall "Uh Cruz, you want to get rid of that?"

Monroe rolled her eyes and Cruz laughed "No, He's eating"

She could see the pink on Davis's ears and grabbed a baby blanket to cover up "Alright it's gone, you can turn around."

Davis turned around and looked on in embarrassment.

Cruz laughed once again "Davis, do boobs scare you?" He turned an even brighter shade of red

"Uh no, just Bosco's right there and…ok I'm digging myself a hole here I'll stop. Congratulations!"

He tried to cover up his embarrassment.

Cruz grinned "Thanks"

She felt Jacob come loose and gently pulled him from under the blanket and pulled her top up.

"This is Jacob Michael Boscorelli" She said, pride rising once again in her voice.

Monroe came over to look closer "Oh Cruz, he's gorgeous. He's tiny!"

She nodded "He's smaller than most, only 4.9 pounds. He was in NICU all morning."

Monroe passed Bosco a bag full of gifts "Here, they're from the entire precinct. This little boy's pretty popular."

Bosco smiled "Thanks Sasha"

She nodded "No problem, anyways we should be going. We'll leave you guys with little Jake. See you later" Cruz smiled "See you"

1 week later

Cruz carried the baby seat out to the car and glanced in at Jacob. He was so cute, all dressed in his little frog suit. He was still pretty small but he had gained two pounds already. He was curled up tightly, his fist in his mouth as his mum rocked him in his seat. Cruz settled him into the back of the car and sat down next to the seat. Cruz watched him wriggle around and gently placed her hand beside him. He curled up to it instantly and fell back asleep, sighing contentedly.

Cruz sighed as well, it would be hard to have to look after such a little human being but she couldn't help but feel proud of what she and Bosco had done. She'd made plenty of mistakes in only the first week but she knew it would get better.

As Bosco climbed in the car he turned to make sure Maritza and Jacob were alright. Cruz smiled back at him and he pulled out of the parking lot smiling to himself. How he had ever gotten so lucky he would never know, for now he just had to enjoy it.

_**THE END**_

Complete! I hope you guys enjoyed it, I know it's been a long time but thanks for hangin in there!


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